Dark Secrets
by Vanassa
Summary: Sora Strife is suffering from the loss of his twin, Roxas. When a memorial goes bad and Sora, Axel and Riku are stuck in a haunted mansion, what secrets of the Stifes will be found, and what actually happened to Roxas? Akuroko and SoRik
1. Secrets lay waiting

I usually hate it when people say 'I know what you're thinking...' because they aren't me and therefore can't know what I'm thinking, but I'm going to use that today. I know what you're thinking... You're thinking why am I making a new story when I really should be working on the Deadly Love stuff... right? Well the truth is... I'm a girl... and like most girls in my family, I have mood swings... and lately... I haven't been in the 'Deadly Love' mood. Don't get me wrong... I tried to write more... but none of it sounded right... So I got the inspiration for this story from my sister's house.

My family set this deal up with my sister… Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night I go over to her apartment and stay the night. Well, we love scary movies so we watched a good couple of them. Well I wanted to write something scary, the movies hade given me inspiration… then my nephew comes up to me and says in a really creepy voice "We mustn't wake the sleeping man…" then giggled non-stop. So I now copyright that line to my four-year-old nephew… (not legally of course).

* * *

A lone tune echoed through the room. The tune, at first had an upbeat tone before turning to a down beat tone and back to up beat. This continued for a few minutes before it fell silent.

"Hello. Please leave a message after the beep." The emotionless, computer animated voice rang out, just as loud, if not louder than the tune before it from a small black box. A shrill tone, the beep, sounded off.

"Sora…" The voice on the speaker sighed, not being computer-animated one bit at all. "Sora, I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to be. I shouldn't have said those things, much less let you be exposed to it. The gang and I are throwing a memorial this Satur-"

A tanned hand emerged from a pile of blankets mountained up on the couch next to the black box. This tanned hand quickly slammed down on to said black box, efficiently cutting off the voice. A few seconds later, the tune was once again singing in the room. The pile of blankets groaned.

"Hello. Please leave a message after the beep." Echoed through the room once again after the ringing stopped. The shrill tone followed and then the man's voice.

"Sorry, must have run out of time or something. I was saying about a memorial on Saturday for him. I was thinking it should be at the mansion, that was his favorite place after all. Sora, I think you should really come; he was your brother… I guess I'll call back later… just think about it."

A click resounded meaning that the message had finished recording when the caller had hung up. From the mountain of blankets emerged the body that went with the hand. His hair was spiky, uncontrollably so, and chocolate brown. He reached up and rubbed sleep out of his eyes. When he opened his eyes, they were revealed to be a strange and beautiful shade of blue. But on closer inspection, one would be able to tell that his eyes were not one shade of blue but many. Also, those eyes held a depth to them, yet a tranquility that most eyes didn't possess. As one friend of his had put it: deep as the ocean, tranquil as the sky and all the shades of blue between.

He yawned and tossed a lazy glare at the black box. Black bags forming under the boy's eyes stated eh had not slept well. He reached over and past the black box, finding what he was looking for, he pulled it back and stared at it.

It was a picture. A golden frame protected it from the world, however it hadn't stopped two black burn marks from scaring the only two adult's faces in the pictures. Axel had helped with that, who had known a cigarette could be so helpful? There were only four people in the picture: the two adults and two boys. One of them was the boy holding the picture, Sora. The other looked almost exactly the same save for a few differences.

While Sora wore bright clothes, the other boy wore only black and white. The only other color was the red on his collar and the blue of his eyes. His eyes were the same as Sora's but instead of having a warm, heart-full feeling to them, this boy's seemed to be stuck in a constant icy glare, radiating coldness, despite his huge smile. The only other difference was that the boy's hair was more controlled and blonde. Instead of his spikes going everywhere, like Sora's, his honey blonde lockes were styled up, down and to the side. Not much of a difference, but it was slightly more controlled.

One could only see a glimpse of the background, but from what they could see, it was set in front of a huge black iron gate. Behind the gate was a destroyed mansion. Not much could be told of the mansion from the picture except the fact it was destroyed.

Sora felt his eyes drawn immediately to the blonde in the picture, his fingers moved over his face. "Roxas…" He whispered. Almost immediately, Sora shivered. He cuddled into his blankets, even through the thermostat said it was at least ninety degrees in there.

He had known this cold would come, as it always did when he thought of his brother. His twin. He shivered again, the cold somehow permeating through the blankets into his flesh and down to his bones.

"_Sora…"_Sora dropped the picture at the faint voice.

"Roxas?" The brunet tried align out. A sudden beat played and Sora yelped. He picked up the phone, angry at the caller.

"Sora?" The voice that had played on the message recorder was on the other line.

"Riku." There was a coldness to Sora's voice.

"Listen, Sora…"

"I know what you'll say. I'm sorry and everything like that. Roxas isn't dead."

"I believe you, honestly, I do." Riku's voice sounded somewhat timid.

"No you don't." Sora frowned at the background voice. It sounded like Yuffie, a Wutian girl who had moved to Twilight Town a couple years ago.

"Yes, I do." Riku replied. "Sora… about the memorial…"

"I got your message, I'm not going." A cold swept around Sora, he shivered.

"But.. Sora… Roxas is your brother you should at least go…"

"Memorials are for the dead, I'm not going. He's not dead."

"But wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry?"

"No." Sora pulled the phone away and posed his finger over the 'end' button.

"Wait, Sora!" Sora held the phone back up to his ear.

"Yes?" The bitterness in his voice conveyed clearly.

"Isn't there anything that would make you go?"

"No," Just as he said that, a person emerged in his thoughts. "Wait, I'll go on one condition."

"Yes?!" Sora gritted his teeth at the happiness of Riku's voice.

"Is Axel going?" A sigh and groan was his reply. "I'll take that as a no."

"No… he said he would if you went…"

"Well then you have a problem, good luck with that. Good bye, Riku." He pulled the phone away and pushed the button before Riku could protest. Sora sighed and stretched, the sound of something hard falling was his reward. He leaned over and picked up the picture frame that had fallen. Rubbing his thumb over Roxas one more time, he placed the frame on the table next to the little black box and drifted off into sleep.

* * *

"_Sora…"_There was so much darkness surrounding Sora, and the voice just echoed. The voice of a little boy… it sounded so familiar. Then it hit him, Roxas.

"Roxas!" The darkness faded, and he was in the same place as the photo. He looked around to see no one. He was alone.

"_Sora…"_The little boy's voice again. Sora looked to where he had heard it come from. Pressing himself against the gate, he watched as child, no older than six, ambled his way to the front door, if it could be called that, of the mansion. The closer he got to the mansion, he more he grew, until he reached the threshold at sixteen.

"_Sora…"_The voice was older now, fitting into place with the older Roxas.

"Roxas!" Sora started to attack the gate. Roxas shouldn't go into there. He turned his head before turning his whole body to face Sora. Tilting his head, he smiled at Sora. Gently, he raised a finger to his firmly shut mouth.

"_Shh… We mustn't wake the sleeping man…" _Sora paused for a moment wondering how a voice so faint could carry across the great expanse of yard, and how Roxas had spoken with his lips firmly shut. When Roxas began to slowly fade, Sora was brought out of his pause and resumed hitting and abusing the gate, harder than before.

"Roxas!" Roxas turned, his form see through now. He took a step, passing the threshold. At that moment, everything around Sora shattered like broken glass.

"_We mustn't wake the sleeping man…"_ The voice echoed continually around him.

"_Sora…" _The voice echoed both this one and the previous.

"_Shh… don't wake him." _Now three were echoing in his endless darkness.

"_Sora, do you remember?"_ The voices fell silent at the last one.

"Remember? Roxas, what are you talking about. Roxas…" Nothing came. No noise. Nothing… "Roxas!" Now his voice echoed, however, his lacked the ethereal quality Roxas' had.

"Sora!" The time the voice the responded wasn't ghostly sounding, its echoes didn't echo and it wasn't so faint. It rung loud and clear in Sora's ears.

"Roxas!" He could somehow see his brother in the darkness, he tried to reach out. A foul wind came and pushed him back. He closed his eyes as he suddenly fell.

Waking, Sora moved to stand up. A loud clunk brought his attention to the floor, where the photo had once again fallen. Picking it up Sora gasped and promptly dropped the photo again.

A long crack now ran between Sora and his twin. Also, the happy smile was gone, and instead replaced with a frown. Roxas was also looking off to the side, his gaze focused elsewhere. Sora stood, untangling himself from his blankets and ran down a hallway. Every picture… every picture that had Roxas in it had been affected. All the same way. When a knock at the door came, Sora screamed.

"Sora!" The door was opened, and in rushed a very tall person. Sora collapsed to the floor, sobbing. The person kneeled down and hugged him. Sora sniffled and could barely smell the mixture of cigarette smoke and cinnamon.

"Axel…" The red-headed man nodded once. Closing his vivid green eyes as he rested his chin onto of Sora's head.

"Shh…" He whispered.

"_Shh… we mustn't wake the sleeping man…" _The voice echoed once around Sora before disappearing. Axel seemed completely unaware.

"Don't… please don't…" Sora whined.

"Alright… calm down…" After what felt like hours, Sora calmed enough. "What got you so upset?"

"The pictures…"

"The pictures?" Axel looked up at the many photos hanging on the walls. "Oh… what happened?"

"I don't know…"

"All of them?"

"As long as they had…." Sora choked on the name. Axel nodded understandingly.

"I understand." Sora risked a glance at Axel.

"You haven't been sleeping well." Sora took well note of the tall man's mixed-matched outfit and the dark bags under his eyes. They didn't look good with the purple tear-drop shaped tattoos on his cheekbones. His long once vibrant red hair color had dulled and tangles and knots were everywhere. "or eating." Sora added, noticing how Axel was more boney than just plain thin.

"Nightmares… started when I rejected Riku's invitation to the memorial. He called me to bitch about how you weren't going unless I went and I was going until you went…" Sora nodded once. "How about we go… if anything, maybe it will stop my dreams, and give you a renewed sense of hope."

"Hope?" Sora looked at Axel curiously.

"Yeah, the Organization plans on being there to say Roxas isn't dead." The Organization. The town delinquents. Roxas was one for them, even wore their uniform. Sora had only felt comfortable around a few of them, Roxas and Axel being some of those few.

"Great… more fighting…"

"Not really. The committee and Organization took vow of no fights on Saturday… it was required if the Organization wanted to go to the memorial." Sora nodded. That made sense. The Restoration Committee was the opposite of the Organization. Fights often broke out between the two groups. Riku would occasionally drabble in the Organization's affairs, but for the most part eh stayed true to the committee.

"So you'll go."

"Yeah… if you'll go."

"I'll go." Axel hugged Sora gently.

"Okay."

* * *

Axel stayed at Sora's until Saturday. When the dreaded day finally came, they set out together to Roxas' memorial. Out of everyone, the organization members and Sora had been hit the hardest. Out of those people, Sora and Axel. Sora for being Roxas' twin and Axel because he and Roxas were steadily going out and the red-head truly loved the blonde.

The memorial was going to take place at the ruined mansion, well more accurately at the gates before it. To get to those gates, one had to pass through a hole in a wall and a forest.

Supposedly, the town stopped at the edge of the forest. The only building past the edge was the mansion. Then something happened and the town tried to cut down the forest, but it didn't work. So a wall was built surround the mansion and the forest around it. However, the wall kept breaking in one spot, so the builders just gave up on that one spot. It was from that one spot that was the only entrance to the forest.

No one really liked the forest so few strayed into it anyways. There was never any sound. And any sound made, sounded muted. People never hard birds sing or the wind blow there. So it became known as the Silent Wood. A name it lived up to very well. Maybe that was why the memorial was so quiet at first.

The memorial was just like any other thing. People said things about Roxas and that was that. Until Cloud spoke. Cloud was the older brother of Roxas and Sora. Like everyone in the family, he had the trademark spiky hair and big bright blue eyes.

"Roxas was a good kid, and many of us will miss him but we need to understand that he is dead. He is no longer with us, and trying to defy that only brings more har-" His words caused many upset people to get more upset. The majority of which were Organization members. A loud fight then ensured that was not physical but only vocal. Sora knew though that it could easily turn physical, and although the Restoration Committee had more people, the organization carried weapons.

Sora escaped the crowd and looked up at the mansion, trying to ignore the sounds of the verbal fight.

"The cards are never wrong, love. King of Hearts is still alive, guarded by an Ace of Diamonds. And something more." Sora turned to face the voice. Luxord.

Luxord had never been one of the Organization members Sora was comfortable with. He had platinum blonde hair with icy blue eyes. Several earrings pierced his ears, five to be exact. He had come from Port Royal, and as such had a British accent, and a love of rum and poker. What had surprised Sora was his politeness and large vocabulary. Sora had thought pirates didn't care about that sort of thing. Luxord also always had a card deck with him.

Axel and Roxas had once said that Luxord could tell the future, check up on people and tell time with those cards. Even manipulate them into shapes. When Sora asked about the check up on people thing, they had replied that he had everyone draw a card and that card represent them. They even tested their theories out. There would be a fight between two organization members. During the fight, Luxord would use his cards to determine who was going to win without looking at them and give the cards to another person. Every time he was correct.

"King of Hearts?" Luxord shuffled some cards as Sora asked.

"Your brother, dear." Sora nodded.

"And the ace?" Luxord looked at the cards; his eyes glowed slightly with some emotion Sora couldn't place.

"Who knows? They know, they who of which walk in shadows and feast on the living. Nightmares, horrors… fear itself… they know, for they know all and all is theirs to know." This was exactly the reason why Sora didn't like Luxord. Sora turned back to the mansion, and then noticed that it had gotten eerily quiet. Luxord grabbed Sora by the shoulder and spun him around.

"Remember my dear lad, remember this well. The light is not always as good as it seems, nor is the darkness as evil. Just as darkness shades and hides away the path of right and hides the evil, light can blind people the same. Always remember who you are, not a name or title, but a person and who that person is. Never forget and always remember. All ways forget not to remember and to remember not to forget." He smiled, showing his teeth. Sora shivered as the cold returned. He had heard those words from someone… a long time ago. Not the same wording, but the same basic meaning.

"We mustn't wake the sleeping man now, should we?" Sora blinked, his mouth agape. Luxord nodded his head and disappeared into the crowd. The moment he disappeared from Sora's sight, the sound came back. The sounds of the yelling and shouting hit Sora full force. Clutching his ears, he leaned against the gate.

"_Sora…"_ The voice whispered urgently, a soft wind swirled around him briefly. _"Stop it… stop it, Sora… Stop it!"_

"STOP IT!" Everything went silent at Sora's shouted demand. Although to some ears it sounded more like a screamed plea. "Just stop it…. stop it… stop it… stop…" Sinking down until he hit the ground, the tears flowing down Sora's face. Riku was there in a second.

The tall silver haired male comforted Sora with hushed words and a pale arm around the shoulders. Aqua green eyes glared at the crowd. Quickly and silently they left, until all that was left was Sora, Riku and Axel. Riku turned his eyes to Sora, and the cold glare on them immediately faded. Axel stood by Sora, silently watching the mansion.

A wind blew past them, making all three shiver. "We shou-" Riku's words were lost as the wind picked up, throwing them against the gate and forcing it open. The three tumbled into the yard. Their shouts of surprise echoing loudly. Riku stood first; he helped Sora, up while Axel turned to the gate. It closed with a loud and ominous clang.

"Well, shit." Sora and Riku nodded at Axel's words.

"_Sora…" _Sora turned and looked at the mansion, while Riku and Axel tried top open the gate.

"Roxas!" Startled by Sora's cry, both boys yelped and turned. Sora was in a full sprint to the front door. Riku was immediately after him, and behind Riku was Axel. Sora entered the mansion, ignoring Riku's and Axel's shouts.

* * *

As this is just the prologue, I wrote it in third person... the next chapters are going to be pure first-person... oh, by the way, if any of you happen to find a really good Zemyx Story, try sending me a link for it... maybe I'll get my spark back for the Dealy Love stories... in the meantime, this story is going to have to do. Oh, ideas of what to happen to the characters can be used... remember the mansion is haunted... by what.. I won't say. Bye!


	2. Hidden in Shadows

Ok, so here is the next chapter... like I said, its in first veiw starting with Sora.

* * *

~Sora's POV~

"_Sora…"_ I heard the voice, and looked for the source. Then I saw him… Roxas. He was wearing his usual checkered clothes, standing on the threshold of the mansion. He smiled at me and turned a corner.

"Roxas!" I raced for the door, ignoring everything around me, just focusing on the blonde I knew so well. I entered the mansion, and followed Roxas around a couple of hallways. Until I reached a parlor. Roxas wasn't there. There was no sign of Roxas. No footprints on the dust covered floor. The grey sheets that covered the rotting furniture didn't look disturbed. The only light came from the shafts of sunlight peeking through the ruined roof; the windows were too slimy for light to pass through.

I received a sense of unwelcome. An uneasiness. A feeling that I had done something forbidden swirled around me.

"_We aren't allowed…"_ The voice whispered. Without thinking I nodded.

"We aren't allowed…" I whispered slowly. The memory unraveling its self in my mind.

"_Sora, Roxas… you aren't allowed to enter the mansion." The stern voice of my father cause me to look up._

"_Why, daddy?" Roxas was now watching father. Both of our blue eyes were trained solely on the man. _

"_It's dangerous." Mom answered, we switched our gazes to our mother._

"_Why, mommy?" Roxas asked the question running through my mind. Mother didn't answer, she just stared at the mansion. A wind blew from behind her, blowing her long brown hair past her. _

"_Mommy, why are you crying?" Daddy had been just watching. Now he intervened._

"_Just look at the place… you could get lost or the place could collapse… although it won't." The last bit was muttered, but we had caught it anyways. We both looked to the mansion then turned to our dad. _

"_We wouldn't get lost…" At the same time we cocked our heads. Mother sighed, and held father's hand. _

"_Just don't go in there." We both nodded at our father. _

"_Yes father." We chorused at the same time._

A thunk brought me out of my memories. It sounded like it came from another hallway. I walked across the room and opened the door.

"Roxas?" I called out gently. A red candle rolled and hit my feet. I stared at it for a few seconds before picking the thing up. It looked like at one point in time I had something carved on it, but I couldn't tell what. A loud creak caused me to look up. A door at the end of the hall had opened and now shut. I could feel the vibrations from the force of the slam.

Walking up to the door, I placed the candle on the table in the middle of the hall. There were several doors, but I kept my eyes on the one that had just been slammed shut.

"Roxas?" I called out gently as I turned the door knob. I walked in without thinking. Bad mistake.

There was no floor nor a ceiling in this room. Well there was a floor, but it was a two foot square platform that I was currently standing on. The floor had fallen and rain water had made like a swamp in the room. I could see something move in the dark depths and I moved back only to find that the door had shut its self.

A bubbling noise could be heard and I watched as a black thing floated to the surface. It drifted over close to the platform. Looking down at the water, I decided to try my luck. I got down on my stomach and leaned over, barely touching the black thing. It was cloth, pulling it up, I frowned at the algae hanging off it. I held it as I stood and examined it. I gasped when I realized what it was.

It was like a coat and a cloak mixed into one. If I were to wear it, it would reach down to about my ankles. Several silver chains hung from the hood, and a silver zipper was reversed, so the open part was at the bottom.

I recognized this cloak. Roxas had worn it so many times… the Organization uniform. As soon as I came to that conclusion, something shot out of the water and dragged the cloak back in. I didn't scream… instead I shivered and pressed my back against the wall. The vision of the disembodied hand was still fresh in my mind. The way its rotting white flesh was peeling and the cuts… I shook my head. The door opened, and I quickly exited the room.

I looked up and down the hall, looking for who had opened the door. I saw no one. I closed my eyes, straining my ears to hear something. I heard soft footsteps around the corner. Opening my eyes, I turned the corner. No one was there. Soft whisperings entered my hearing. I couldn't discern their words; I turned to look for the source. That's when I saw that the old, yellowing and peeling wall paper had something carved on it. I screamed.

~Riku's POV~

"Roxas!" I jumped and yelped at the sudden sound of Sora's voice. I turned to look at him and tell him not right now, but he was already sprinting to the mansion.

"Sora! Sora! Come back!" He ignored me and barged right into the place. I could hear Axel following me as we chased him, but once we crossed the threshold, I stopped. Sora had disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Axel asked, panting slightly.

"I don't know…"

"Roxas?" The voice echoed slightly, the noise somehow disturbing the peace more then we were.

"Sora?" I perked up and immediately walked to where I had thought I heard the voice come from. Axel and I traveled down several hallways before we finally heard Sora again.

"Roxas?" His voice was gentler this time. Axel looked at me.

"He's lost it… and now we're lost." I looked around to see that Axel was right…

Despite all the dust on the ground there was not one footprint. Nothing… I spun around a couple times.

"How do we know if we have been going around in circles this whole time?!"

Axel shrugged in response, then his eyes went wide and he stared at something behind me. I turned and stared as well. Down the hall bright blue eyes examined me before moving to Axel. With a small smirk on his lips, Roxas turned the corner. The black material of his cloak swished at the sudden movement, and was the last thing to disappear behind the corner.

"Roxas…" I heard Axel mummer. "Roxas!" Before I could do anything, Axel was already down the hall and turning the corner.

"Axel, wait!" I chased after him, but like with Sora, he was gone. I looked everywhere but I found no trace of either boys. A scream echoed through the halls. I recognized the voice, it was Sora. No caring about Axel anymore, I ran to where I thought it sounded like the scream had come from. I entered a room and could only stare blankly at what I saw.

~Axel's POV~

I stared with wide eyes at Roxas. He was wearing the organization cloak, the stupid thing defining his body beautifully. It was tailored to fit him like a mold anyways. His eyes were focused on Riku, something flashed in them, and Riku turned around. Then Roxas turned that gaze to me. He smirked softly, and then turned a corner.

"Roxas…" I murmured, still not believing he was there. "Roxas!" I shouted once it finally caught up to my mind and body that Roxas, my boyfriend of several years, the source of everything I held dear was right there and very much in my grasp. I broke off in a run to the end of the hallway and around the corner. He was somehow already at the end of the hall, waiting patently for me.

"_Axel…"_ His voice sounded slightly off. It echoed despite how soft it was.

"Roxas." He turned the corner. I chased. He had stopped about halfway up this hallway, waiting by a door. Once he saw me, he nodded once and entered the room. Instantly I was there and opening the same door. It was pure black in there, and every gut feeling told me not to enter.

"_Axel…"_ His voice over-ruled the feelings and I stepped in. The door shut by itself. The thought of crappy horror movies surfaced in my mind. I quickly shoved it away.

"Roxas…" I heard things move in response to my voice. I couldn't see anything; blindly I tried to feel my way around. Then I felt _it_. I don't know what it is, but it latches onto my leg. I can feel nails and teeth ripping my worn jeans and digging into my skin. Trying to get away from it, I fall facedown onto the floor. I managed to try to my backside before more of those things are on me. Biting my arms, legs and torso. Suddenly the pain fells numb, and all I want to do is sleep.

"Axel!" Roxas' voice is somewhat muted, and disoriented. I can feel the creatures back off, and something drags me. Light floods my vision, the last thing I see before I black out is Roxas' bright blue eyes looking down into mine.

I wake to a scream… Sora's. No doubt Riku is going crazy about it… why would Sora be screaming anyways? Then it hit me… we were in the mansion... and I almost got killed. I opened my eyes. I was leaning against a wall, across from the door that opened to the dark room. Someone, I guess Roxas, had dragged me from it. It was still opened and I shivered as I looked into cold glaring, yellow eyes. I notice a blood trail leading from there to me, I guess its mine. I look around, trying to locate the blond who saved me.

"Roxas?" My voice is hoarse. I receive no reply. He had left me… across the hall from these creatures. Why had he saved me anyways? Wasn't he the one who led me in there? Closing my eyes, I try to stand. To my surprise, I do it easily and with no pain. I check myself over. My clothes are torn, and I'm covered in blood, but I'm not hurt. What the fuck? I know I felt those things ripping my skin, drinking in my blood and eating my flesh…

"_Don't you just love this place?"_ I spin around to see Roxas at the end of the hall. Amusement is in his eyes, but it's off somehow… just like his voice… he's smiling a twisted smile… it doesn't look right on him.

"_Do YOU remember?"_ Roxas cocked his head to the side.

"Remember what? What kind of sick game are you playing at, Roxas?!" Roxas frowned at my shouted voice.

"_Shh… we mustn't wake the sleeping man." _He sighed… _"I tried to tell Sora that… but he won't listen… you'll listen, won't you Axel?" _He smiled, then laughed. _"Not that it matters… the sleeping man will wake… he always does… then we mustn't make noise… don't alert him... mustn't reveal…" _his eyes become glossed over… it's now that I notice that he's speaking, but his mouth isn't moving. He keeps muttering about silence, sleeping men, and musts and mustn'ts. Shaking his head, he turns and disappears down a hallway. Being who I am, I follow. Something was wrong here, and following Roxas will either reveal that wrongness or keep me alive. Or so I hoped.

* * *

Poor Sora and Axel... Sora saw a disembodied arm, and Axel almost got eaten... Oh... digital Cookie for who can guess what tried to eat Axel. Riku had it easy... he just got himself very lost. ... I think I feel more sorry for Axel... he almost gets eaten, then finds out he's not hurt... which makes no sense... and then he finds a crazy Roxas... and why did Roxas lead him in the room only to save him from it?

I think Roxas is my favorite character so far... as my sister colorfully said when she read the story... "What the living Fuck? Is he mental or something? Cuz he fucking sounds like it. Damn he gives me a headache... who the fuck is the sleeping man?! Why does he keep saying that? Where did you get that from anyways?" I only answered her last question, which caused her to look at her son very strangely for a few seconds before introducing her hand to her face. Then she walked away.... mumbling about strange little sisters and weird sons... and how she was the only sane one in our family.


	3. Lurking and Preying on Helpless Souls

Sora's gave me a headache... Riku's took it away and Axel's gave it back to me and made me sad...

* * *

~Sora's POV~

_Sora, do you remember?_ The words keep echoing in my head as I read and reread the craved writing on the wall.

"Remember what?!" I shout to the unanswering house. Wait… it does answer… the whispering increases. I still can't make out what they're saying, but it's an answer. I shiver as a chill sets in, almost immediately the whispering stops. One voice rings clear, whispering in my ear.

_"Don't make a noise…" _Don't make a noise? Is this more about the sleeping man? I hear a growl from the end of the hallway. I look and very nearly scream.

A cloaked figure stood at the end. The cloak reminded me of the Organization's… he walks closer and I realize it is an Organization cloak. But it's not Roxas or anyone I know in the Organization. The hood does its job and hide the face completely, but you can still identify people by how their zipper is zipped, body shape and height.

He walks past me, almost touching me but not quite. I let out a shaky breath as it passes. He stopped, and turns to me… I hold my breath. It tilted its head, and growled softly. I don't move, or anything. It then moves on, and down the hallway I just came from. The coldness leaves with it and the whispering voices come back.

"Thank you." I say out loud, to thank who ever had told me to be quiet.

_"You are Sora?"_ The voice asks. I realize it is female, young about my age.

"Yeah…"

_"Why are you here?"_ I spin around, looking for the source of the voice. She giggles and I see her from the corner of my eye. I turn to face her. She is stahnding in front of the craving. Her hair is almost white, and draped over one shoulder. Her skin is pale, and she wears a pure white dress with white sandals. Her blue eyes remind me of my own and Roxas'… and every one's in the family descend from my father's line… she smiled at me. Now that I thought about it, she looked like that one girl Roxas dated once. She was in the Organization. I'm pretty sure her name was Namine'.

"I'm here… because I'm looking for my twin… Roxas. I saw him in here and followed him… but now I've lost him…" She frowned slightly.

_"Roxas…if you are looking for someone, names do no help. I know of several people… many named Roxas... many named Sora… some named Cloud…Many named Ven… others named Rufus… some named Namine', like myself." _But the Namine' I know was…. Oh never mind… this must be another Namine' who just happened to look like the Namine' I know.

"How else do I describe him, by looks?" She smiled very gently… "Luxord uses cards…" She brightened.

_"He understands… you should speak with him more." _

"I can't… I have to find Roxas." She frowned and shook her head.

_"Calling out names will do you no good… you never use names here…if you need me, don't hesitate to call for me… but you must know what to call me."_

"You said your name was Namine'." She smiled sadly.

_"My name, yes. But a name does not define a person… by calling Roxas… you might get **him**_..._ not the Roxas you therefore seek…" _That was confusing. She giggled.

"Then who are you?"

_"I am the first of the last and the last of the first. A keeper of memories; a memory itself, embedded deep in the heart and grain of this house. I am kin to the dreamer; I am the drawer, I am the artist who creates and reveals the dreams. And you?"_

Now that made my head hurt. Was that like a riddle or something? "Umm… I am... I don't know." She laughed. "I still don't know what to call you!"

_"The artist." _I nodded, like that had really helped me.

"So if I need you, I just call out 'the artist'?" She shook her head.

_"You still don't understand…in time you will figure it out, and discover who you are." _She smiled, then frowned. _"I must go… remember what I have told you…" _

She then ran down the hall that the cloaked figure had gone down, leaving me alone. I looked at the carving once before moving on. Namine's words echoing in my head.

I noticed it was getting darker and glanced up at the sky from a patch of missing roof. It was getting darker… funny, normally I would be hungry by now. I shrugged it off and continued walking. A scream pierced the air and I froze. I would recognize that voice. He had after all left countless messages and had to be beaten up by Roxas before he even managed to go out with me.

"Riku!" I called out, trying to find him.

_"Sora…" _I turned to see Riku in an Organization cloak. The hood was down so I could see his face, but a blindfold covered his eyes from view.

"Riku…" He frowned.

_"You… who are you?" _Now I frowned.

"Sora Strife. We date… I got mad at you because you said Roxas was dead… and then you chased me in here…" He shook his head…

_"So you think of a different Riku… not me… just as you are a different Sora…" _ I blinked at him.

"You're not going to make my head hurt too, are you? Cuz Namine' beat you to that."

_"Namine'?" _

"The artist?" I tried hopefully… this place didn't seem to get along well with names.

_"Her… she draws his dreams… doing my job… protecting…" _He paused. _"I'll do my job on you, then. I will protect you… even if I am blind."_

"Is that who you are?"

_"Who?"_

"The blind?" Gesh, he was making my head hurt harder.

_"I am the blind. I am the fooled and the one who was blind sighted by the most obvious. I am the one to blame, the fault is all mine. I overlooked… I overlooked… it's my fault. I am the blind, never meant to see the truth."_ I nodded, turned and walked away. So Namine' the artist and Riku the blind. Weird people…

_"You leave." _He started to follow me.

"Yes. I have to find Riku… not you or anyone else… but Riku."

_"Who is he? I'll help you look…"_ I doubted a blind man could help me look, but it was worth a shot, after all, Riku might be hurt.

"Who is he… ummm.. You don't mean name or appearance, do you?" He shook his head. "I thought so." I thought about Riku and all of the things he does and is. "Well… Riku was my best friend. He protected me since kindergarten when I was bullied, and always made sure I was happy. He endured a beating from Roxas in order to get his approval to date me… and then endured many threats from Roxas to make sure I stayed happy." I paused. I had noticed every time I said Roxas, he would flinch. "He comforted me when it was believed Roxas died, and chased me in here, even through I'm pretty sure he hates this place. He's always been there for me… and now I need to be there for him."

_"The protector…your Riku…" _The protector? Now that I thought about it… that's what Riku was… he was protection… he saved me so many times, comforted me from what he couldn't save and did his best to keep me happy, at his own expense. _"I'll look for Riku… now that I know who he is…" _With those words Riku wandered off. I watched him go. What weird people here.

~Riku's POV~

I entered an indoor garden. The roof had fallen, allowing sunlight to shine in and give life to plants. Dark green vines covered the walls, floor and everything else. Exotic flowers bloomed on the vines. They were mixtures of the colors blue, yellow, white, and black. There was an uneasiness in here, but I ignored it. I had to find Sora.

I stepped into the garden, walking carefully and trying to step over vines. I felt something catch on my pant leg. I looked down to see that a large thorn had punctured said pant leg. I carefully pulled my pant leg off the thorn and continued walking. After a while, I figured that this wasn't a room but another hallway. It just never seemed to end, and the vegetation only got worse. I had seen no other doors and no trace of the burnet I was looking for.

"Sora!" I tried calling out. In response, a blizzard of bugs attacked me. They were pure black… and as large a nickel. More than a few stung me as I raced through the jungle-like-hall trying to lose the accursed bugs. I wasn't sure which was worse, the cuts caused by the vine's thorns or the sting of the bugs, which left large, quarter-sized welts on my skin.

They finally left me alone, and all I knew was I felt so tired. I stumbled around, ignoring the cuts made from the thorns trying to find a place, any place to relax. I found it. A stone chair. I didn't know how it got there, why it was there or why there was no vines, but truth to be told, I didn't care. I sat on the chair, slumping over immediately. I closed my eyes and let them rest… it would be just for a few minutes…

Pain pounded my skull as I opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was that it was incredibly darker. How long had I been sitting there? I had to find Sora… how could I have been so sidetracked?! I tired to stand, only to cry out in pain and slump back down. I looked down, and screamed.

Tiny vines had snaked their way around the chair and me. Their tiny thorns digging into my skin and drawing blood. I saw several flower buds, they were a deep red. The color of blood. The plant was drinking my blood! I immediately smacked that thought away and all the panic it caused. Plants do not drink blood. Especially out of their thorns.

I felt the vines move, crushing me in to the chair and tearing my skin. I watched in morbid fascination as several buds grew, and those already there bloomed. They bloomed into pretty red roses, the reddest and the fullest I had ever seen. There were small liquid droplets on the blood red petals, almost the same color as the petals themselves. I watched as the liquid dripped off the petal and onto my hand. The droplet splattered leaving a solitary red mark on my hand.

I felt something touch my neck, more vines no doubt. I didn't try to fight them, they were obviously strong and there were so many of them… plus they had such pretty flowers. I watched as the flowers shuddered and then silver bloomed out in the middle of them. The silver was quickly followed by an aqua color… my hair and eye color. Somehow, it made the roses look more beautiful.

The red of my blood, the silver of my hair, the clear aqua of my eyes. So pretty. The vines tightened. I gasped at the sudden pain, and then felt tired again. Blood loss, the rational part of my brain screamed. I pushed it away and instead leaned back against the chair. I closed my eyes, suddenly happy in knowing I was helping to create such beautiful flowers.

~Axel's POV~

Ok, I decided that this Roxas was officially crazy. All he did was mutter about weird things and ignore me completely.

_"**He** won't do you any good. If anything, **he**'ll just make things worse." _I jumped at the sound of the voice… it sounded so much like mine. I turned, leaving Roxas to his mutterings and mindless walking. I stared at me. He wasn't me, but he was. Talk about weird.

"Who are you?" He sighed.

_"I am none of anyone's concern."_

"You must have some sort of name…"

_"Like I said, none of anyone's concern… although I suppose you could go and ask **him**. If you can bring **him** to **his** senses long enough to care."_ He laughed. It was a dry carless laugh. I shuddered.

"Why? What's wrong with Roxas?" He balled his fists up, growling.

_"Don't speak **his** name to me!"_ He shouted. Immediately Roxas turned, he had just reached the end of the hallway.

_"Shh, we mustn't wake the sleeping man…" _Then he left down the other hallway. What was this place anyways? A labyrinth of hallways?

"Ok… don't say his name… but what's wrong with him?"

_"What's wrong with **him**? What's wrong is **he** is fucked up in the head… **he **treats **him **just like a dog does with a master! I am so happy I'm not stuck with **him**... Oh wait… I am… because of **him**!"_ I backed away slowly from the crazy man.

"Ok…" I nodded with a smile. Like Roxas had once said, just smile and nod and everything is ok.

_"And **he** wonders why I didn't get **him** out?! **He** wonders! Maybe its because I knew this would happen even if I did get **him** out… but no... Nothing is good for **him**! Stupid Strifes, I hate them all!" _He paused in his ranting. _"No… not them all... just **him**."_

He must hate Roxas to keep say 'him' and 'he' with so much hate in his voice. I nodded again. No point in upsetting this man more than he already was.

_"Do you love **him**?"_ He suddenly asked.

I did love Roxas… but I didn't want to upset him… but I wasn't going to lie either.

"Yes, I love him…"

_"I did too… I loved him greatly…"_ I raised an eyebrow at the sudden mood change. _"He was everything to me… everything…"_ He looked down. _"I would have gotten him out… I was working on it… working so hard… but in the end… he didn't believe… thought it was just another attempt of mine to prolong my life…" _Prolong his life? Wait… did this guy think he was dead?!

He sat down on the floor. _"Then he killed me… the pain I felt… he killed me… killed me… killed me… I shouldn't have left… not without him…. Look what they did to him… ruins… ruins… not even there… lost… so lost…"_ Yep… this guy was bonkers. Why did I leave Roxas to stay with this kook? Oh wait, maybe its because they're both like this.

"Look…this has been fun, but I got to go…" I quickly walked away.

_"Wait… I'm the betrayed… I'm the lonely and hurt. The first of Sinclair to die… the last of Roxas' before his own… I watched and suffered… I left and didn't help… maybe I'm the betrayer or maybe I'm the betrayed… betrayed by my lover and the betrayer of him... but I never turned… never… so I'm the betrayed. The lonely and hurt…"_ I nodded, and tried to pretend like I understood that. He went back to sulking on the floor, and I hurried away.

* * *

Riku's was interesting to write… I had written something like that before, but never posted it on … it was a final fantasy story with Reno… Anyways he was stuck in some sort of mirror world and at the end of the first chapter he was just a broke person sitting on a floor surround by mirrors copping a little girl's voice as she repeated "Such pretty, pretty hair".

Anyways… you all can probably figure out what happened… Yes… the other Axel is a bit insane… I wonder is crazier, Roxas or the other Axel. As for the other Riku… he's just weird… and Namine'… god, I had to rewrite her freaking words so many times to figure it all out! And then I kind of had to make a character profile thingy just to make sense of what the 'I am' things were… they all have one… every single one… I dare you guys to try and guess who everyone's is: Sora, Roxas, none-crazy Axel, and going-crazy-but-not-blind Riku. I gave you Crazy Axel, Namine' and Blind Riku already…

Oh, and just because I'm curious… who understands what Namine' was saying... and who got a headache from reading it? Cuz I know when I rereading for errors, I got my headache back and I'm the one who wrote it....


	4. Some come out in light, only to confuse

~Axel's POV~

After my weird encounter with other me, I tried opening every door I could see. Most didn't open, and the few that did revealed dark rooms that I dared not to enter. I heard the screams of Riku and Sora, but I paid them no attention, I mean, panicking was going to help me right now. So, just as everything had gotten quiet, I opened a door, and found that it did not end up in a dark room, but in another hallway. I decided to take my chances here. I mean, what could be worse than I had already endured? I turned my first corner and stopped in my tracks.

A large gold picture-frame encased a very clean, very beautiful painting. But it wasn't the cleanness that stuck me odd; it was the people in the painting.

"Roxas…" I murmured, walking up to the painting. I brushed my hand against the fabric and stared into Roxas' cold blue eyes. Sora stood with his hand around his twin, a huge smile on his face, while Roxas just held a smirk. I walked down the hall, carefully looking at each picture. I saw Cloud, and people I didn't even recognize, but I could tell were part of Sora and Roxas' family. There was only one person who wasn't part of the Strife family that was in the hall's pictures, Riku. Finally I reached the end of the hall and turned to see more photos.

These people had blue eyes, but they weren't the same as Roxas' and Sora's. These blue eyes were more shallow. Their hair was fairer and tamed. I passed by Luxord and Namine'. Shivering, I continued on. The last hall I reached made my eyebrows shoot up.

I stood staring at a painting of myself. No, it wasn't me… I had tattoos. Reno, my brother, was in the next picture. The one after that, my mom. I wondered down this hall taking in all the familiar, yet unknown pictures into my mind. There was nothing more at the end, so I turned fully prepared to go back. Roxas blocked my path and before I knew it, I was falling. I fell onto a platform in a swampish-like area.

There were two doors, and stepping stones between them. I took a close look at the water…. I didn't really want to go across, but I had no choice as I was just in the middle. I carefully picked my way to the door closest. Just as I had reached the door, something jumped from the water and dragged me in. I fought it, just as anyone would, and then soaking wet, I was dropped in a yard.

A yard… the grass was brown and yellow, trees were dead, and there were a lot of doors and walls, but it was a yard. It seemed fine… until the rumbling started. Looking slowly behind me, I saw 'It'.

'It' was the times my height, and very wide, which would make sense. The body did have to support its heads. Not head, heads… with an s. Three massive snarling and drooling dog heads. Complete with glowing red eyes and very sharp teeth. I screamed, and ran.

"Fuck!" I tripped and watched as the grass grew up on my hands, holding me still. I fought it, and broke free before running again. I could hear the dog thing behind me, and it didn't make me happy.

**_"I really couldn't care less! Now tell me how to save Riku!"_** Sora's voice echoed out, causing the dog to stop chasing and the grass to stop tripping me, but only for a few seconds. I had stopped, too, in those few seconds, trying to clear my head of the echos Sora's voice had brought. I shrugged it off and began running, getting a oen second head start. The dog chased after, and just as I was reaching the end I saw salvation. A door opened, taking my chances, I raced in, spun around and kicked the door shut with all my might.

Leaning against the wall panting, I didn't notice the two staring at me until a few minutes later.

~Riku's POV~

Darkness was all around me, that's all I could see. I could hear things moving around, scuttling and scurrying to their destinations, but the creatures who made the sounds seemed to leave me alone.

_"Riku…" _I blinked at eth sound of my own voice… although it sounded off. _"Riku…" _Suddenly the sounds stopped. A new sound entered my hearing, someone was screaming. Why were they screaming, who was screaming. Then I realized I was the one screaming. I felt coldness take a physical form and grab my wrist. Then I knew I was being carried, by that same coldness. I couldn't stop crying and screaming.

_"Don't worry, I won't hurt you…just stop, please stop… I know it hurts…" _That's the problem… I'm not in pain… I'm just screaming and crying randomly. Great, I've turned emo.

_"Sora, I found him!" _Sora? Sora was here… suddenly I felt the coldness everywhere… it was strange and creepy… the thought of death entered my mind before I shoved it away.

"What happened to him!?"

_"He was in a garden… dangerous places, they are. No doubt he had been looking for you, fouling sounds of your shouts or screams… but this place twists sounds, so you can't rely on that." _Well, that would have been helpful to know before.

"Thank you, Riku." Wait… I thought I was Riku… curse this dark place I was in. The coldness disappeared, and was replaced with the hard floor. It felt a lot like that stone chair. "Will he be ok?" Sora sounded so close…

_"It depends on how bad the flowers got him… violent things they are. Merciless." _

"What did they do to him?" I could feel Sora holding my hand.

_"They listen with silence… when they hear someone, usually bugs are released which have a poison in them that works as a tranquilizer. At this point the 'Stone Chair' is produced. Really it's just a tangle of tiny vines… the person sits there, just wanting to rest. At that point they fall asleep, and leave the wines to work. First they bound the person around the wrists and ankles, before bounding the upper and lower body. Then it bounds the neck. By that time, the vines would have tightened themselves several times, digging their thorns in… and the poison."_

"Poison… he's going to die?!" The grip tightened. I wished I could tell I wasn't going to die anytime soon, but my mouth wouldn't work.

_"Let me finish. The poison is deadly, but that's not the beauty of the plants. They tiny vines produce flowers, first eth color of blood, and produce blood droplets. Then the flowers absorb other features of the person. By the time I got to Riku, the roses had his blood, hair, eye and skin color, almost done with him." _

"So he'll die?" I felt something wet drop on my hand. Tears…

_"There's a very small chance he won't…" _

"Is there anything I can do? That can stop his death?"

_"There was someone…" _

"Who?"

_"She is gone now… turned… destroyed… my fault…" _

**_"I really couldn't care less! Now tell me how to save Riku!"_** Sora's demand echoed in my mind, and I could hear it echo out of my mind. It had felt so… weird… not like him… I think the person left as silence answered Sora.

_"You shouldn't yell so loud, Sora…" _

"Namine'… can you fix him." Namine'? What was she doing here?

_"I think so… if the Dreamer does so dream for me to draw it as such." _ Dreamer? What the fuck? Apparently I'm dying and she's talking about dreams and drawings.

_"Namine'… he could really care less…" _There's the voice that pissed Sora off… so he didn't leave.

_"So I, and everyone in the mansion heard."_ She giggled. _"**He** is having problems…" _

"Stop gossiping and help him!" There's Sora… I was wondering when he would intervene.

_"I won't be able to cure the poison, but I can cure the cuts… and maybe dilute the poison enough for him to live a couple more days…" _

"Do it, please." I heard nothing more, but felt small cold hands press against my chest and forehead. Suddenly I could see again. It was like a curtain had been lifted and there was light. The first thing I saw was the girl… she stared curiously down at me…then turned to her right.

_"Is that what your eyes look like?"_ What? I looked to see… me. Freaky. I was wearing an organization cloak and a blindfold, but it was me.

"Riku!" Suddenly I was being crushed. I smiled and hugged Sora back, rubbing my hand in circles on his back.

~Sora's POV~

Riku was alive! He was alive! True he just had an encounter with death, and met a weird blind him, but he was alive! I pulled back to see him smiling reassuringly at me. I smiled back and hugged him again.

_"Carful… don't kill him." _Namine' advised. She then stood, looked Riku over once or twice and walked off. Other Riku watched her go, nodded at me and followed. Laving me with my Riku.

"Sora…" Riku's voice was shaky.

"Why did I see me?"

"I have honestly no idea… I met Namine' a while ago… she helped me, then I met blind Riku. He offered to help look for you… and I agreed."

"Blind me?" He whispered. "What the fuck is whit this place. Killer flowers with annoying insects; Roxas is just plain weird…"

"Roxas… You saw him?"

"Yeah… he was at an end of a hall. Axel chased after him and I haven't heard from Axel since. To tell the truth, Axel slipped my mind until now…" A shout from the door nearest to us, drew both of our attention. It was slammed open then kicked shut. Speak of the devil and he shall come. Panting, Axel leaned against the wall.

"Oh, hi guys." He muttered once he noticed us staring at him. "Have you gone nuts too, or am I the not only sane one here?" I blinked at him.

"Umm… I think I'm sane…"

"Besides being eaten by flowers and being fine with it… I think I'm sane" Riku responded.

"Eaten by flowers? Is that why you look so bad, Riku?" Riku looked like a model compared to what Axel looked like. One leg of his pants was torn completely, his shirt was in shreds. Dry blood coated him. Grass stains covered his pants, making his once blue jeans a strange red and green color. He was also sopping wet… making the blood stains not so dry… but they didn't look fresh either. All Riku had was torn clothes and a few blood stains.

"Me look bad, try looking at yourself…" Riku was obviously offended.

"Yeah, well, I've been Alice trapped in wonderland." Riku's eyes narrowed, it couldn't disagree with the action. Axel was talking like he had been way worse then we have, and although he looked it, I somehow doubted he had.

"Let me tell you guys what I've been through and what is on the other side that that door."

* * *

So… I couldn't help with it Axel in this chapter… I man… its just so fun to play with him… and Sora and Riku were having a nice safe little talk, so someone had to be doing something interesting. I think Axel's adventure counts as interesting… and yes… the dog is Cerberus, or Fluffy (if you're into Harry Potter.) Feel pity for Axel! No… fell pity for Riku…… Sora gets no pity, nothing really bad has happened to him yet.

To answer Cloaked Shadow's review… Marluxia is not involved… although I suppose I could fit him in there later on… and as for the colors… think really hard about that.


	5. Others stay Hidden in Darkness

If anyone wants an explaination as to why this is so late, go check out Dead Love: Five years after the story... the chapter thinking. That explains all.

* * *

Sora's POV

I just kind of stared at Axel for a few minutes, once he finished tell us about what had happened to him.

"Are you serious…. A three headed dog?" Riku asked his mouth slightly agape.

"Who cares about the dog?! Roxas went crazy! I have to find him!" I shouted in response, I stood up and looked at the two boys before me.

"Uhhh… Sora… he's crazy… he tried to kill me or did you ignore that part of my tale?"

"_He's crazy, we're crazy, everyone's crazy here!" _I groaned at the familiar way the voice sounded. Turning around, I was faced with Axel… I promptly turned back around to see the other Axel staring at the other Axel with a weird face.

"The betrayed… right?" He asked.

"_The betrayed… I'm the lonely and hurt. The first of Sincl-" _

"Yeah, yeah… I know." Axel cut the other Axel off. Riku stared between the two, his mouth open.

"This place is crazy! Come on Sora… we are leaving." Other Axel frowned.

"_He can not leave. He is forever to be here, like those before him and his brother." _Axel raised an eyebrow.

"Oh… care to explain why?" Riku scowled, but I agreed with Axel. Why did other Axel say that?

"_Once he entered he forfeited his life out there. You all may leave, we have no business with you… however… Sora must stay."_

"Uh, let me think about that… NO. Sora can leave anytime he wants." Riku snarled.

"I'm not leaving with out Roxas." Riku blinked at me because of my statement.

"_Roxas… __**him**__… so much to tell… yet nothing at all…he is the craziest… best to stay away… dangerous… he does not good."_ Other Axel's face formed into a frown. _"No… he never does any good… he draws them in… yes... your family… trapped here… countless generations…" _He paused and looked at me funny. _"Your parents… he brought them here… they tried for so long to ignore… but in the end… he gave them a choice… and then he took them... do you remember?" _He had bent down so his face was level and directly in front of my own. He grinned, and it slightly freaked me how large his smile got. He stood back up, and walked though the door Axel had just come from.

The words of the other Axel echoed in my mind.

"_Sora." _Roxas. Where was he? I turned and looked around, only to see myself surrounded by darkness. Then the darkness cleared.

I was outside the mansion, past the gates. Mom and dad were across from us, me and Roxas. Cloud sat to our right. Smiling, laughing faces.

"Mom…" The scene seemed to distort, like a ripple on a smooth body of water. Darkness again.

"Roxas!" Father's voice. "Cloud, stop Sora!" Someone was suddenly holding me back.

"LET ME GO!" I spoke, not controlling myself. The scene finally showed itself. Roxas was by the threshold of the mansion. He locked eyes with me and smiled.

"_Sora." _I heard him greet me through our metal connection. A gift of being twins.

"_Roxas." _I replied, calling for his assistance although I know he can not give it.

I notice that mom and dad are running across the lawn. How they got there when the gates were still closed and locked I would never know. _"Sora." _I am fighting against Cloud as hard as I can; I need to get to Roxas, he's calling for me. In a desperate move, I bite down on Cloud's arm, drawing blood. The red liquid falls to the ground. As the drops hit the ground, everything shatters like glass.

"Sora?" I blink to see Riku and Axel standing over me. "Sora… please tell me that's you staring at us." Riku asked as he slowly backed off. I notice that we're in a different hall than the one we had last been in.

"_Sora, you remember?" _I turned to see Roxas at the end of the hallway.

"Mom and dad…" I spoke standing and reaching out for Roxas. He smiled, the look not right on his face. My eyes lock on to his.

"_Shhh… we mustn't wake the sleeping man." _We both speak at the same time. I hear Axel and Riku say something, but I don't know what. Roxas has a somewhat relived expression on his face. _"I am sorry." _Once again we both speak. _"I understand." _I understand that what he did, he did because he had too. When I finally remember what it is that he did, I won't be mad or anything at him. I forgive him… he understands. He is me, and I am he. He curls his right hand into a fist, as I curl my left. As if we are holding hands like we used to as children.

"_Follow." _I nod. Then suddenly Riku has me pressed against a wall.

"Sora! Snap out of it!" Blinking, I stare at Riku.

"Riku?" I ask, and he sighs.

"Thank god, you recognize me." I ignored the strangeness of his statement and instead turned to where I had last seen Roxas.

"Where did he go?" Riku forced me to look at him.

"Who?" His eyes were guarded, revealing nothing.

"Roxas." Emotionless.

"Sora, Roxas wasn't here. You just started to talk to yourself." His voice is guarded… I blink. I thought to what I had just remembered, and understood.

"Your right. I'm sorry. Can you let go now." With a nod, he backed off.

~Riku's POV~

Sora froze, becoming tense. Then he ran down the hall. Naturally, Axel and I followed. After a while, he stopped ad crumpled to the floor.

"Sora?" I asked as I approached him. He looked up at me, a twisted grin on his face.

"Who are you?"

"Riku…"

"Who are you?" I frowned and backed off. "LET ME GO!" I notice Axel backing off too. Sora then started to thrash around, freaking. Then he was still. I exchanged a look with Axel. To go or not to? Go. I moved forward.

"Sora? Sora… please tell me that's you staring at us." I asked as I slowly backed off.

"Mom and dad…" He spoke as he was standing and reaching out for something. He smiled, the look not right on his face. _"Shhh… we mustn't wake the sleeping man." _There's that creepy quality in his voice.

"Sora, stop please." I plead. Axel pushes me back from going to him.

"I don't think that's Sora."

"_I am sorry, I understand." _Sora then curled his left fist into a ball. He nodded, then took a step forward. I rushed forward and pressed him against a wall.

"Sora! Snap out of it!"

"Riku?" I sigh. He recognizes me this time. What a relief. Axel is watching Sora curiously.

"Thank god, you recognize me." Sora ignores me and turned to face the end of the hall.

"Where did he go?" I force Sora to look at me. Something isn't right in his eyes, but its fading.

"Who?" I ask, knowing that 'he' is probably Roxas.

"Roxas." I knew it.

"Sora, Roxas wasn't here. You just started to talk to yourself." He frowned. The look fades completely.

"Your right. I'm sorry. Can you let go now." I nod as I back off. He's back to normal.

"It was strange… I… I was six…" He shook his head. "Never mind. Lets find our way out. I would ask what happened, but with this place, I don't want to know. I just want to leave." Leave? But hadn't he said that he wouldn't leave without Roxas?

"What about Roxas?" Axel asked the unasked question. Sora bowed his head.

"Roxas…" Sora whispered the name. "Roxas is dead." As he spoke, he raised his head.

"Well if that's how you feel, maybe I should die?" Roxas' voice echoed around but not in the creepy manner it usually did. Sora didn't respond.

"Nice try. I'm not going to fall for it any longer. I know. Can we leave, I just want to go home… I just want to… to…"

"Leave us." Roxas' voice again. I turn to see Roxas at the opposite end of the hall Sora had been originally looking for Roxas at. "Leave the past." A defeated look overcame Roxas, and I watched as his eyes glazed over and his checkered clothes seemed to turn black and change into the cloak of the Organization. Axel was silent, watching Roxas. Roxas looked to Sora with a sudden jerk. _**"I can't… won't let you leave!"**_ He shouted slamming a fist into a wall. I wasn't the only one who took a step back. Several organization members appeared behind him.

"_Oh dear… you made him mad." _The weird Namine' who helped me spoke. I turned to see her, weird Axel and weird me standing there. _"We'll distract him. Sora… you haven't remembered yet. Not all… you must."_

"Alright. Come on." Sora spoke, grabbing both my and Axel's hand. Then he ran, and we followed.

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I honestly have no idea where this is even going... none whats so ever... lol


	6. Waiting for Their Stories to be Told

Yeah, yeah. This is not only late, but short too. Deal people. I'm having some home troubles I'd perfer not up on the web. But... reveiws make me happier. And if I'm happier... then I write more. Plus someone to bounce ideas off of wouldn't be too bad. I keep tripping over my own thoughts. CRAP, I've even tried making a family tree for this story, to help me keep the character's straight... and that... well... that didn't turn out so well. It more of ended up blowing up in my face, and getting me more confused. GRR. Anyways, heres the next chapter. I hope you enjoy and are as confused as I am.

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~Sora's POV~

I didn't question how I suddenly knew the layout of the mansion. I didn't question how I knew the only way to keep the three of us together was to hold hands. I most certainly did not question the fact that I knew I had to leave.

I could feel that Roxas was still alive, and I knew it would hurt me to leave him… but I knew I had to. I reached for a door, and heard the apprehension in Axel's and Riku's voice as they tried to ask me if I was going to enter that door. Not that I blame them, any door they'd entered yet had turned out horribly.

I ignored them and entered the room, and then slumped against the white wall. "Whoa…" Riku muttered, and I heard him move around.

"A room that doesn't try to kill you. How refreshing." Axel remarked. Now, I finally looked around. The room was pure white, complete with white furniture. The only color came from numerous pictures all along the walls. There was a white curtain hiding what I think is the bed.

"This room once belonged to Naminé." The words felt right as I spoke them. "It is safe to be here, at least for now." I yawned after I spoke, and before I knew it, I was drifting into a dream world.

"_Do you remember yet?" _I shook my head to the disembodied voice.

"No… No, Roxas. I don't remember."

"_Sora…"_ I sighed at the voice, spinning around. Like the past times, the darkness faded into the area in front of the gate to the mansion. I was panting heavily, my hand wrapped around one of the bars on the gate.

"We tied again." Roxas spoke, his heavily breathing separating each word.

"Of course we did, silly. We're twins." We both laughed, leaning against the gate. It creaked, and then swung in due to our combined weight. As such, we both fell on the ground, but continued to laugh. We sat up, and I looked to the forest.

"Mom, dad and Cloud will be here soon." I saw Roxas nod out of the corner of my eye.

"Wanna race to the door?" Roxas nodded towards the front door of the mansion. I grinned, making an affirmative noise.

"Sure!" Roxas leapt off the ground and turned to help me stand. Mom and Dad broke out into the clearing, Cloud scowling as he traveled with them.

"_Do you remember yet?" _I watched, from third person view as mom and dad shouted, they lunged forward as the gates were shutting. Dad pushed the six-year old me back, yelling at Cloud to hold me. I was yelling, wanting to go to my brother, who had already started to race towards the door. Then it all paused, and the voice asked again. _"Sora, do you remember?"_

I blinked at the frozen scene before me before letting out a startled gasp. "Roxas… he entered the mansion." As I said the words, I saw him stop at the threshold and lean against the door, which gave away. I heard mom and dad cry out, pleading. Roxas stayed just within the entrance of the door, staring at mom and dad with wide eyes.

"_Sora."_ I could hear his fear in his mental calling. He was scared, confused. _"Sora, where am I?" _

"And then the other Roxas made an appearance. Standing behind Roxas with his hand on his shoulder. He grinned at mom and dad." True to my words, the memory played to what I said. Through Roxas, I knew what the other Roxas said.

"You, or them?" I spoke the words with the other Roxas. I watched as mom broke down crying, before whispering out an answer. Neither Roxas or I caught it, but the other Roxas seemed to. He knelt down beside the younger Roxas and whispered in his ear. _"You'll always belong here. I am you, just as you are me." _

"The other Roxas pushed my brother through the threshold, and Dad brought him back to the gate, which opened for them. Cloud yelled at them to come back, but they shook their heads."

"They already have the twins, it's between us or them now. We have to go. Take care, Cloud." I spoke the words with my father, the younger me huddled close to my brother. The gate was closing as dad spoke, and Cloud was about to try to get dad, but mom's shouts of 'No' made him stop.

"Remember, we love you." Mom cried as she held hands with dad and entered the mansion. The door slammed shut behind them. As the door shut, darkness over took my sight.

"_You remember?"_ I nodded once. _"Do you hate me?" _I froze as the question was asked. Did I hate him?

~Riku's POV~

I watched as Sora drifted off to sleep. Not that I blamed him… I sighed, looking around the room. The pictures depicted what I think the mansion once looked like, and for some reason, I felt they were accurate.

Which, if the pictures were accurate, then the mansion was once a grand place. _"It was."_ I jumped at the sound of Namine's voice, and if the noise Axel made was anything to go by, he was surprised too. _"This mansion was so beautiful, and I considered myself lucky to be living here… until it happened." _

"What happened? What happened to this place?" I asked, looking towards her. She smiled softly.

"_**He**__ came."_

"Let me guess… 'he' is Roxas." She shook her head to Axel's question, making him raise an eyebrow.

"_I had no problem with Roxas… this was his home. No… the problem occurred when __**he**__ came into town. People were drawn to __**him**__. __**He**__ was a foreigner, a man they never saw before. __**He**__ came from Oblivion. That should have been the first clue. But people were so drawn to __**his**__ charisma, they didn't notice. In the end, all we've become is broken toys. We provide entertainment. Some of us are dolls, just for show. Some of us are puppets, our every actions controlled by __**him**__ for the purpose of his amusement. __**I **__might be a puppet, a toy __**he**__ uses to toy with you three, drawing you deeper and deeper into this mystery. Who really knows?"_ Sora sighed at the end of her little monologue.

"They know. Because they know everything and everything is theirs to know." Sora mumbled in his sleep. Namine' smiled, kneeling down next to the sleeping boy. I frowned, and took a step forward, but a look from Axel made me take no further steps.

"_And who are they, Sora?" _There was amusement in her voice.

"They are the ones who walk in shadows. They are the nightmares, dreams, hopes, illusions, fear." Namine laughed, the sound seemed to tickle my ears.

"_It is strange. Of all the Soras I have met thus far, you dream, but not like… never mind it." _She stood, and looked towards me. _"You want to know what happened? Well… that'd be a question better answered by __**him**__."_

"And this time, you were referring to Roxas… weren't you?" She smiled brightly at Axel, who had spoken.

"_My, aren't you learning fast." _

"Why Roxas?" She turned back towards me as I spoke. She sighed then.

"_Because…"_ Her face split into a grin, her eyes glowed. _"__**He's**__ one of __**them**__."_She looked to Sora as she spoke. _"Sora, do you hate him?"_ And then she was gone just as she had been there. I looked to Axel.

"We really need to get out of here. This place is messing with our minds."

"Oh, so you've noticed." Axel replied, taking a seat at the white table. "But we can't go anywhere until he wakes, so I guess we'll in for a wait." I could only nod, and continue to look at the pictures.

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As one of my friends pointed out... i'm confused about this story... and I'm the one writing it. How sad. Said friend refuses to be the friend I use to bounce ideas off of. Instead, she wants to bounce ideas of an Ouran High School Host Club crossover with Harry Potter on **_me_**. Psh... yeah. Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter... that I could see happening. OHSHC and HP... not fitting right...


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